Chapter 54 - 2.15

Zenith stilled. Rather than focusing on the lady's desire for him to entertain her, he was more focused on the reason why she uttered the order.

Of course, the lady wouldn't know much about what was happening. This was also when he started to trace his problem back to Reginald's words with his own mindset. The Duke had spoken about how Ariel wanted to steal his position away because she was spiteful, but looking at the lady and imagining her conditions, the chances of her knowing that he was a high ranked knight was low.

The lady herself also stated that Reginald must be out there to lie so that she would be cornered. Zenith was someone who liked to believe what he saw personally, and the lady that he had met was certainly not the coward that everybody stated. She only became a coward because the situation required her to be one, so that she would be a little bit safer.

Of course, the pitiful lamb that was being led around by Xu Jiaqi did not know anything yet. Oh, how innocent he was!

Taking this into account, Zenith complied with Xu Jiaqi's wish. With her feet still placed on his lap, making him awkward, he started to try and dig out any stories he possessed inside his mind. He avoided major things like his upbringing and secrets, but as he spoke more and more, he found it easier to talk with the lady. He spun tales about all sorts of matters, his experiences.

Xu Jiaqi would always respond perfectly, as if she knew just what his persona was, what he liked and disliked.

Their peaceful time was well spent. That was, until danger approached, knocking on their door murderously.

"AAAKK!" A shrill scream, one that they recognized to be their coachman rang.

The two inside the carriage instantly became alerted. Before they were able to peek out of the carriage, the entire transport shook heavily. Xu Jiaqi, who lost her balance since her legs were on Zenith's lap pummeled forward towards the man's embrace.

A fresh waft of bamboo scent attacked her nose as she got extremely close to the man. Then, a sharp jolt from Zenith's energy transfer which she still hadn't gotten used to. As much as the two of them wanted to savor this accidental moment, there was an elephant in the room. They were suffering under an attack.

"Lady Ariel, we.."

"Silence. We have to confirm who they are first. Whether they are just mere bandits or someone with a deeper intention. Could you go and take a look outside for me? I shall lend you my own power too if it's needed. I am quite strong, you see?" Xu Jiaqi whispered, clutching on his clothes as she felt the strong rush of ecstasy pulse through her.

With the amount of energy Zenith gave her, she was already feeling like the entire world was under her despite only having learned magic for a week.

Zenith nodded at her words, opening the carriage door and getting off.

With a loud voice, he declared. "Who is out there?! Show yourself and state your intentions! You are obstructing the carriage of Lady Ariel Maine, your sins of disrespecting her shall not be forgiven!"

The opposite side did not respond, show up, nor did they taunt back. This was the first clear sign that it wasn't a camper bandit. The bandits wished for wealth and wrecked carriages to pillage them, but they also loved to scare and terror their victims. Especially if they learned that this carriage was carrying a noble daughter, then they should be rejoicing more and exclaim louder.

"So it is assassins. Then, Zenith, you are not the right match for them. I shall come down." Xu Jiaqi spoke.

Zenith immediately covered Xu Jiaqi's figure up, not wanting her to be discovered. "Lady, I can't sense their presence. They must be skilled assassins. The representatives from Palla are dead, even though they shouldn't be that weak. These people are not just normal killers, they are proper assassins."

"I know. That's why I said that you are a bad match for them. Do you think that you can track all of them down and kill them before they run away? If you face them, you will only end up escalating the story further. Leave it to me, trust my lead."

Zenith was still unconvinced, but Xu Jiaqi was dead set on following through with her words, so she pushed through Zenith and got out.

"I am Ariel Maine. I should be the one you are seeking. Are you here to capture me, or simply to kill?" Xu Jiaqi asked calmly.

A dagger was thrown towards her way, aimed slightly beside her neck. Her long hair was pinned to the carriage door as a result, and a strong gust of wind passed her. A clear sign that they were not here to play, and would hurt her without batting an eye.

"...I see. Very well, thank you for responding." Xu Jiaqi smirked. When she was in the carriage, she was actually locating down the assassins with the help of the System. When she got out and talked, she was silently casting spells. Aimed towards the heads of each assassins.

Bang! Several loud shots were issued, and with each hit, one head was blasted.

The fallen assassins created a fountain of blood that spilled everywhere, making the place reek of the deathly stench.

Xu Jiaqi's bloodthirsty eyes were fully captured by Zenith, who was standing by her side and looking towards the enshrouded forest that were now beginning to rumble with the collapsing bodies.

Perhaps because the intel they received was just one girl, one knight, and two representatives from Palla, they didn't think that they needed that much people to take care of the job. In total, Xu Jiaqi landed twelve blows, which were confirmed headshots by the System.

It was not her first time killing people with her own hands, nor did she feel uncomfortable in entertaining the idea. She carefully closed her eyes, communicating with the System to confirm that the location was safe from here on out.

After doing so, she opened her gleaming sapphire eyes. Due to using magic, there was a faint mist seeping out of her eyes, making the pair of organs glow even more.

In the dark, she looked like a lioness who hunted her prey with absolute certainty.